Untamed is Netflix’s newest limited series, starring Eric Bana as investigator, ‘Kyle Turner’. The show was released on July 17, 2025 and has become a fan favourite with its mysterious storyline and complex characters. The most fascinating part of this series is that the story is set in the Yosemite National Park, U.S.A. This park is renowned for its lush, scenic beauty, but delving deeper into this wilderness reveals an untamed and treacherous forest. The story of Unmated explores this facet and draws parallels with the wild and animalistic side of human nature, which remains subdued in a civilised society.
Premise of Untamed
The opening scene of Untamed shows the vast green landscape of Yosemite National Park. Then, two young men are shown to be climbing El Capitan, the granite monolith. As they are about to reach the top of the surface, an unseen twist occurs, and a woman comes tumbling down from over the side. The two men were about to fall as well, but they kept their balance somehow. Park Rangers, ‘Paul Souter’ (played by Sam Neill) and ‘Naya Vasquez’ (played by Lily Santiago) interrogate the two men about what they saw when the women fell from above. However, the questioning is stopped by the arrival of ‘Kyle Turner’.
‘Kyle Turner’ is a special agent for the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch and the protagonist of the story. Played by Eric Bana, this character is portrayed as rude and dismissive towards the park rangers. The show also does a great job of depicting a power struggle between the special agent and the rangers. ‘Kyle’ takes over the investigation and tries to make it a one-man investigation. However, as none of the rangers are ready to work with him due to his offhanded behaviour, the rookie, ‘Naya Vasquez’, steps forward.
Eric Bana as ‘Kyle Turner’
Eric Bana as the special agent, ‘Kyle Turner’ does an exceptional job of portraying the genius but rude detective. His dismissive manner, but at the same time, his passion for his work, makes one root for his complex character. In the story, as well, ‘Naya’, who dislikes his rude behaviour with the rangers, admits that ‘Kyle’ discovers important evidence that was overlooked by them. Even before the victim’s body is sent for postmortem, ‘Kyle’ deduces that the woman was dead before she fell off El Capitan. Meanwhile, as others thought that the woman was chased by a wild animal, the special agent is the one to speculate that she might have been hunted down by the killer.
Apart from Eric Bana and his character, ‘Kyle’, each and every character does a great job of making the thrilling story even more engaging. The premise also weaves in personal stories of the characters, which gives them a lot of depth. The protagonist ‘Kyle’ especially is tortured by something in his past, which makes him strive more to get justice for the unknown woman who fell victim to a vicious murder.
What are your thoughts on Untamed and Eric Bana’s performance?
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